The Sickness - a Harry Potter Special
by Frozen Under Winter's Touch
Summary: In a modern day Hogwarts, a strange disease of magic seems to take over the Wizarding World.
1. Prologue

**_\- Prologue - _**

"Sir, I don't mean to intrude. But there's been another case-"

Within moments of the words leaving the hurried lips of the secretary, the Minister was spinning around in his chair, the advisors looking alarmed. The secretary grasped the long string of pearl beads that were roped along her neck. They were bewitched to show the wearers heart's emotions - usually they emitted a relaxing blue, but now they pulsed an alarming shade of orange.

"Please, Penelope, do explain." Replied the Minister, in his old, rasp of a voice.

"I've just received a report from Barry and his team of Aurors, from the border on Wales, sir, and it was addressed to you, but I couldn't help but give it a glance over when I saw it-"

"For bloody hells sake, Penny, what was on the report?" Butted in one of the advisors. The air was tense, and the poor secretary swallowed. "A reported _seven _more deaths, Minister. And over fifteen reported to have the symptoms-"

"_Seven deaths!" s_creeched the advisor to the Minister's left, clutching her chest. "_Seven!" _

"What are we to do?" The Minister breathed, and the team of Magical Advisors fell into conversation. "Have Barry brought to us at once, Penny, this is quite particular." The Minister spoke at last, holding up a hand to quiet the advisors. "Make a copy of the report - have it sent to everyone on the case. Keep the media low, you never know how this can spread-"

"Minister!" Cried a new voice from behind Penny. A younger man was standing there, sweat beading on his forehead. His next words shook with a sense of irony. "It's spreading."

The grand, bay windows that stood tall behind the Minister's desk began to shake ever so slightly. The team jumped, almost in uncanny unison, and swiveled around to look at the Great Horned Owl that was rapping on the window with a panicked screech.

"An owl? _At this hour?" _Exclaimed Penny, forgetting she should not speak in the advisors' presence. But her spoken thoughts were ignored as the Minster rose from his seat, his bottle green robes moving with the air.

At once, a swarm of owls flew to the glass, rapping on it with taloned feet. Screeches grew louder and louder, and they could only watch in shocked horror as birds of all sorts began to rise to the windows, screeching and knocking on the glass.

Thankfully, the windows that were built in the Minister's office were enchanted with the highest form of spells.

"Nobody move." The Minister said softly. "Or else we will find ourselves in a bit of a troubling situation."

Unfortunately, the words had little effect on poor Penny, as the sight of the massive amount of screaming birds had scared her, and she promptly fainted. Her falling figure knocked over a large china vase that had been bewitched to seem as if the blue streaks of paint were growing flowers. It shattered upon hitting the burgundy floor, with a sickeningly loud thud.

And then the windows shattered, and a swarm of angry birds flooded into the office.


	2. Chapter I

Chapter I

* * *

"Sam, if you oversleep every single alarm this year, I'm _not _going to skip breakfast to make sure you're awake!"

The annoyed voice poked into Sam's dream's like a silver knife, and she groaned, pulling the silken red pillows on her four post bed over her head. She wanted to get back to the dream she was having. Most of her dreams were odd, very vivid and realistic since she could remember. This dream was more peculiar than most, however.

Her mind brought her back to the fresh images in her mind. She was down at the lake, further than most kids would usually go to wreck havoc or relax. She was so far along the banks that she could see Hogwarts as a comforting shape in the distance - safely within her reach, but far enough for her peace of mind.

The sky was in the most perfect time of day, right in between twilight and sunset, where the clouds stretched like cotton candy she once tasted at the fair. Light, pink, fluffy, and the sun slipping beneath the tall hills cast coral and purple in streaks across the sky.

It was stunning.

The water was ever so calm, and the breeze felt like warm kisses against her skin, tangling her light hair behind her.

She was in a dress, a pretty vintage one that was floral patterned and fell just below her knees. Her feet were bare. Sam had lifted her hands into the sky, feeling the distant rumble of thunder from some faraway storm that hadn't yet touched the scene before her.

That was it. She remembered now, the feeling of something devastating was to come. Or maybe had happened?

In the dream she had reached for her wand, but her hands only brushed against empty folds in her dress. She patted herself down, against the soft fabric. The breeze turned to a wind.

_My wand. _She had thought in the dream. _Where is my wand? _

_"Looking for something?" _

Sam turned, calmly, to her left. An owl had appeared, silently, perched on a rock outcropping over the lake. Sam stared. Owls didn't come this close to the water.

"_Where did you put my wand?" _She asked the owl. Its amber eyes pierced into her.

"_Don't you remember what you've done?" _

The owl didn't move, but continued to stare. Yet Sam acted like these words that appeared in the air were spoken fright rom the very beak of this owl.

"_What've I done?" _Sam asked. The owl turned to the sky, unfolded its wings, and leaped gracefully into the air.

"Sam!" The voice broke through her drifting memories of last night's dreams. The pillow against her face was harshly ripped away and sunlight penetrated her bleary eyes. She sat up, blinking furiously to try and get adjusted to the light, shadowing a hand over her face to focus on the pissed figure in front of her.

Carolyn Nightshade - one of her oldest friends, stood, holding the pillow angrily in one hand and balancing about a dozen books in the other. "Get up! We have Potions in 11 minutes!"

Carolyn was the first person Sam had met at Hogwarts. She had barely managed to get onto the platform alive first year, and couldn't find a single open compartment. She had stumbled to the back of the carriage when she spotted another younger girl sitting in one, pointing her wand at the vase of flowers and trying to turn them hot pink.

They'd been friends ever since, though total opposites. Carolyn was lovely, with a straight waterfall of midnight hair, large, almond eyes, and toffee toned skin. She was brave, headstrong, and would never hesitate to put someone in their place. She was powerful too - the Nightshade family was one of the most respected families in Britain, something Sam had not known.

To be fair, Sam had not known much of anything. She'd been in orphanage homes her entire life, always in and out. There was never a family that wanted Sam long enough to keep her for longer than six months, and the older she got, the more undesirable she became. It was quite a shock, to see the letter when it came, opening her to a world of magic. It wasn't hard for her to adjust, because she had quite the vivid imagination as well. The orphanage head had sent her to the school, believing it to be a boarding school for talented children across Europe.

It wasn't just the excitement of a new world with magic that made Sam want to go. Her entire life had been spent in homes or in care centers, being beaten by older children and fighting for everything to survive. Hogwarts was the first home that made her want to stay, one where she felt she belonged, where she had a healthy life and friends for once.

"I'm sorry," She mumbled, bringing her thoughts back to the present. Carolyn raised an eyebrow. "Truly, I am." Sam protested.

Carolyn sighed, putting the pillows down on the bed. "I know. Seriously Sam, what's been going on with you?"

"I've just been exhausted lately." She said, stepping out of bed. The girls dormitory was empty, as it had been the whole week. She had seen less of her roommates the first week of her fifth year. Carolyn was right - she couldn't keep oversleeping.

"Is breakfast over?"

"_Long over._" Carolyn said, and Sam inwardly groaned, quickly pushing the trunk at the foot of her bed to rummage for her school robes. She tore off her pajamas, hastily pulling on the pleated skirt, and knee high socks.

"I saved you some, though. Don't worry." Carolyn motioned to the table in the center of the beds, which held an apple, and two slices of toast with butter.

"Thank you so much! I swear I won't miss it tomorrow." Sam shot over her shoulder as she buttoned her white shirt and slipped on her tie. She scrambled to fold down the collar and tuck it in straight.

Carolyn looked at her watch. "Merlin's beard. We're definitely going to be late. Professor Bitterwood is going to take ten points for this. I just know it." She walked across the room, shoving the scattered books into her book bag.

Sam grimaced and pulled on her Gryffindor Robes, shoving her socked feet into white sneakers and brushed through her light, coppery hair with her fingers. She grabbed her bag from Carolyn, muttering a quick thanks, and grabbed the toast before running out of the dormitory.

The halls were nearly empty, and they gained some strange looks from a couple of third year Ravenclaws as they raced through the corridor and to the direction of the Slytherin dormitories.

"Slow down, Sam!" Carolyn huffed. "I can't run as fast in these heels."

Sam rolled her eyes, but slowed her pace all the same. "Two minutes until the bell. That's record time we've made it from the Gryffindor Tower to the dungeons!" She exclaimed, checking her watch.

Carolyn, out of breath, looked at the watch over her wrist. "I can't believe you haven't broken that thing yet."

"How could I? You gave it to me." Sam smiled, putting her hand down.

Carolyn grinned. "Sam, I broke the bracelet my dad gifted me when I got my letter after having it for a month. _And_ it was bewitched with a protection spell."

Sam laughed. "I'm good with protecting my things."

Carolyn shoved her. "And I'm not?" She asked innocently. Sam shrugged, kicking open the door to the Potions room. They barely managed to make it to their tables when Professor Bitterwood walked in the room.

Before she knew it, the lecture on _draught of peace _had begun, and she was zoning out, staring at the green lit candles that filled the air with a mysterious tone. Her third day at Hogwarts. It felt good to be home...

_"Samantha Hawthorns?" _

_Sam stepped forwards from the line of girls. "Present." She said in a perfectly clear voice. The voice she'd been trained to use when talking to adults and future parents. _

_"No inquiries." Said the voice of the stern woman in front of her. Sam was almost positive her name was Becca, but she was the least favorite caregiver at the orphanage. Sam didn't even feel the twinge of disappointment for not having any inquiries that she used to when she was little. After all, she was fifteen, one of the oldest girls there, and with the years she was away at Hogwarts, no family wanted her for three months only._

_She was fine with it, though. Only two more years before she was seventeen, an adult in the wizarding world. _

_She watched as Becca read of the rest of the list at the orphanage, leaving to the kitchen area to get herself from breakfast. She zoned out the rest of the names being called, until a little girl pulled on her leg and asked her to reach the box of oats on top of the cupboard. Sam did, handing it to her absentmindedly, when her thoughts were interrupted by Becca's sour voice._

_"Thomas Ganders? Has anyone seen Thomas this morning?" Becca snapped, looking over her glasses. _

_Thomas? _

_No. No way. She stopped, frozen, with her hand halfway to her mouth, a bagel halfway bitten in her palm._

_"T- thomas?" She asked, confused. But her voice went unheard, as one of the other caregivers appeared from the hallway. Sam had known Katherine since she was seven, and she was one of the "caregivers" at the orphanage that Sam had actually liked.  
_

_"Thomas has been out all night, Becca. I'm not sure where he is." _

_Becca's face scrunched with anger, and her pen pressed into her clipboard so hard it must've left indentations. "That wretched boy. If he's not back by noon, I'm calling the police on him. I don't care if Scotland Yard comes to look for him! There'll be bars on his doors from now on." She stormed into the offices, slamming the door shut._

_Katherine took a double take at Sam. "Aw, Sammy! You're back from school!" She paused at the expression on Sam's face. "Dear, are you all right? You're pale as a ghost! Are you falling ill?" She took a step forwards, concerned. _

_Sam's hands felt clammy. She put down the bagel in her hands. "I- I didn't know Thomas was -"  
_

_Katherine stared at her, puzzled. "You didn't know he was back at the orphanage? Well, he's not gone until he's eighteen. And the family he was with couldn't handle him anymore, or at least, that's what they put in the papers. But what's the issue, love?" _

_"Nothing." Sam said, she offered a shiny, fake smile that she was so used to wearing at the orphanage. "I haven't seen him since he visited when I was thirteen." _

_"Ah. I'm sure." Katherine said. She looked into the kitchen. "Cassy! Put that fork _down!" She screeched, and rushed into the room.

_Sam abandoned the breakfast scene and retreated to the third floor, where her room was. She had shared it with Lydia, an eight year old girl, but she had been sent to a summer camp during June. It was now empty, where Sam pressed her head into her covers and tried not to scream._

_Not Thomas. _

* * *

End of Chapter I!


End file.
